Add BrightSurf on Google Email

The search for dark matter widens

Astronomers have discovered a new material that could directly detect dark matter particles, expanding the search scope to unexplored mass ranges. The material detects electrons recoiling from collisions with dark matter particles and operates near absolute zero.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalJournal of Applied Physics·DateMar 20, 2018

The search for dark matter: Axions have ever fewer places to hide

A new analysis of ultracold neutron measurements imposes strict constraints on the interactions of axions with nucleons and gluons. Researchers discovered frequency changes in neutrons that could be indicative of an 'axion wind', suggesting a specific direction of movement for these hypothetical particles.

Physicists describe new dark matter detection strategy

Researchers propose a new method for directly detecting dark matter by exploiting the interaction between superfluid helium and potential dark matter particles. The strategy involves a tub of helium and a positively charged metal pin array to amplify the tiny energy signature of a released atom, enabling the detection of single atoms a...

Hubble discovers 'wobbling galaxies'

Astronomers analyzed 10 galaxy clusters using Hubble data and found their brightest cluster galaxies wobble around the center of mass, inconsistent with current dark matter models. This result may indicate new physics is at work, requiring a reevaluation of fundamental physics to solve the mystery of dark matter.

SourceESA/Hubble Information Centre·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateOct 26, 2017

The largest virtual Universe ever simulated

The University of Zurich has simulated a gigantic catalogue of 25 billion virtual galaxies from 2 trillion digital particles using the revolutionary code PKDGRAV3. This simulation will help optimize the observational strategy of the Euclid satellite, which aims to investigate dark matter and dark energy.

SourceUniversity of Zurich·JournalComputational Astrophysics and Cosmology·DateJun 9, 2017

Satellite galaxies at edge of Milky Way coexist with dark matter, says RIT study

A new RIT study confirms the coexistence of satellite galaxies and dark matter, shedding light on a long-standing debate. The research supports the current cosmological paradigm by showing that the vast polar structure of dwarf galaxies is an unstable feature that formed later in the galaxy's evolution.

SourceRochester Institute of Technology·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateMar 30, 2017

Dark matter less influential in galaxies in early universe

A team of astronomers found that distant galaxies were dominated by normal matter, with dark matter playing a smaller role. The study used the KMOS and SINFONI instruments to measure galaxy rotation velocities and created an average rotation curve, which also showed a decreasing velocity trend away from the centers of the galaxies.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateMar 15, 2017